


Catch Me If You Can

by Traw



Series: Catch Me Series [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst. Hurt/Comfort. slash in later chapters, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-08 20:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3222548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traw/pseuds/Traw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of an undercover case that went drastically wrong. What happens when the criminal escapes and is out for revenge? Will Gibbs be able to protect Tony? Sequel to 'In Too Deep'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Five Weeks Earlier -

Sometimes it was just safer to stay below Gibbs' radar and today was definitely one of those days. Agent Caitlin Todd sighed as she began the search of the small six-foot by eight holding cell where only an hour before Peter Harding had managed the seemingly impossible and escaped. The vicious serial murderer and his female accomplice had killed at least eight victims before he came to the attention of the NCIS agents a little over a week ago.

She swallowed back the hot bile that rose to the back of her throat as memories of the terrifying case slammed into her mind like a tidal wave. What had started out as a kidnapping, torture and murder investigation of three marines lured away from bars ended in an undercover case almost going tragically wrong after Tony was snatched under their very noses. A sickening cat-and-mouse game quickly ensued with the team being teased with photos, phone calls and videos of Tony being tortured and drugged by the couple. The game had finally been bought to an end after Tony managed to escape.

"Todd, what the hell are you doing? Those damn photos aren't going to take themselves!"

The sound of Gibbs' irritated shout startled Kate out of the disturbing memories and she quickly uttered an "On it, Gibbs!" as she hastily pulled the camera up to her eye and began to photograph the cell from every angle. Yep, today was definitely the day to stay under Gibbs' radar. With the possibility of Tony in danger from this madman and Gibbs' guilt over the undercover operation, Kate knew that working as an agent in the top team of NCIS was not going to be a fun position until Harding was caught!

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Present Day

"Good morning, Kate, Probie!" The cheerful voice of Tony DiNozzo echoed through the bullpen. DiNozzo strutted happily across to his own desk, rotating his now newly healed arm around as he grinned happily. "Ducky just removed the cast and cleared me for active field duties!"

Entering the bullpen, Gibbs hesitated unnoticed behind the partition as he heard the younger agent's excited announcement. The silver-haired lead agent felt his blood chill with a sickening fear as his thoughts returned to the undercover case that had led to DiNozzo being kidnapped, drugged and tortured. The broken arm had been only one of injuries that he had suffered at the hands of Harding and his girlfriend Kiki. Clenching his fists, Gibbs remembered Tony's dramatic, drugged escape and the desperate minutes on the roof of the building when Gibbs had feared that Tony would try and jump believing in his drugged state that he could fly. Haunting memories of Tony's cardiac arrest on the roof and then sitting in the hospital room, trying to reassure Tony that he was safe as the terrifying hallucinations plagued the young man rushed to the forefront of his mind.

The man behind the horror, Paul Harding, had killed his own accomplice and tried to take him hostage after Tony's rescue. He had managed to turn the tables and subdue the power-hungry drug addict. The investigation showed that the couple were serial killers who had roamed the country for at least two years, kidnapping, torturing and killing their victims. The count was up to nineteen victims so far but more victims were still unaccounted for, their bodies yet undiscovered.

The escape of Harding five weeks earlier from the holding cell had scared Gibbs more than he would ever admit. The fear that the man would return wanting to finish what he started was a constant that Gibbs now harbored. He knew the anxiety would not subside until Harding was back under lock and key.

Gibbs stared at Tony. It had been easy to protect the agent when he was recovering from his injuries, but it would be much harder to do so out in the open. 'No!' He decided. 'Field work for DiNozzo was definitely out of the question!'

"I can't wait to get back outside! Into the fresh air, the sunshine, the birds …" Tony's excited voice drew him back to the conversation.

"Photographing the crime scenes in a muddy field, sketching in the cold winter rain." Kate added with a grin. "Any girls watching wrapped up in thick coats and sweaters!"

McGee snickered from behind his computer screen as Tony threw Kate a disgusted look and opened his mouth to respond. Before he managed to utter his comeback, Gibbs' angry edict cut him off. "DiNozzo, you're not back on field duty until I say you are and I haven't said you are! That clear?"

Tony turned stunned at the heat in Gibbs' order as the lead agent stepped from behind the partition and moved towards his desk, coffee cup in hand. He shot a quick glance in McGee and Kate's direction, confirming that the two of them were as stunned at the edict as he was.

Slowly Tony moved towards Gibbs' desk waiting till the lead agent had settled in the seat before he quietly spoke. "Boss, Ducky says I'm fit for full duties and that includes field work. I don't understand…"

He gave a small involuntary step backwards as Gibbs snapped his head up, his eyes blazing with anger and another emotion…fear?

"What don't you understand, Tony?" Gibbs growled in annoyance. “Don’t you understand that you are still under protection until we catch Harding? Or the fact that if you are out in the open on field duties it makes that protection much harder to provide?"

Tony swallowed as he tried to verbalize the belief that Harding was no longer a threat to him. "Boss-” He began hesitantly before deciding to rush in. "Boss, it's been over five weeks since Harding escaped and he hasn't made a move against me. I don't think that he is crazy enough to stick around here just to finish me off. I think he's long gone, probably another state, maybe even Mexico or Canada. I can't hide forever on the assumption that he is still after me. Besides, I know you'll have my six!" He pleaded.

Kate and McGee exchanged glances. Both knew how much the undercover operation and Tony's recovery had affected Gibbs but both were aware of how much Tony needed to be back on the team in his role of NCIS agent and that definitely included field work. They watched as the battle of wills was silently carried out between the two men's eyes before Gibbs sighed loudly. "You can do field work provided that one of us are with you at all times. That means no wandering off out of our line of sight for any reason!" he ordered.

"YES!" Tony jumped and punched the air in excitement at Gibbs' tentative agreement to let him back to full duties. "I promise, Boss, no wondering off when we are out on the field! I'll stick to you, McGee, Kate or Ducky like glue!" He promised animatedly as he continued to dance from foot to foot.

"You better, DiNozzo, "Gibbs growled in warning. “Because the first time you don't, I WILL suspend you so fast it will make your head spin! Understood?"

"Got it Boss!"

"Now get those damn reports that you were supposed to have on my desk yesterday finished!"

"On it, Boss!" Tony grinned as he turned and hurried back to his own desk.

Picking up the cup of coffee, Jethro Gibbs tried to hide a small grin behind the cup as he lifted it to his lips. A small quiet voice tugged at his mind asking him if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. The grin faded as he felt the knot of fear settle again like a rock in the pit of his stomach. He glanced across at Tony, who had his head bent down towards the keyboard as he furiously typed the report. 'God I hope not!' Gibbs thought before he turned and began to study the latest negative reports on the search for Harding.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Stepping across the small stream, Tony quickly opened his pad and began to sketch. He moved a little closer as he swiftly drew the position of the Marine's body, located half in and half out of the water. The dark bruises marring the bare back and legs spoke of the violence the young man had endured before his death. Concentrating on his work, Tony was only vaguely aware as Gibbs moved around him instructing Kate and McGee to start a perimeter search and to photograph the scene.

 

Finishing the drawing, he stepped back as Ducky and Gerald arrived. He lingered a moment, watching as Ducky knelt down to examine the corpse, talking softly to the dead man reassuring him that he would take care of his mortal remains. Stepping away, he moved to the edge of the forest and turned the page of his sketchbook over as he prepared to sketch the full crime scene and add in his measurements of the scene.

"DiNozzo!"

Gibbs' unexpected, irritated shout startled him and he snapped his head up as he instinctively answered, "Yeah Boss?"

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Gibbs yelled as he stalked over to his younger agent.

Tony stared at him in surprise and bewilderment at the strange question. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Kate, McGee, Ducky and Gerald were all watching the exchange between the two of them with the same confusion that he now felt. He swallowed before answering. "Umm, just doing the crime scene sketch, Boss."

"Didn't I warn you when I told you could join us back on active duty that you were to stay in our line of sight at all times in the field?" Gibbs growled as he stepped into Tony's personal space, glaring at the younger man.

Tony blinked before he glanced around, realizing that he had stepped back into the wooded area where he could not be seen by the team. "Ummm, sorry? Look, I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was." He murmured, growing acutely uncomfortable under the older man's furious stare.

"Well start paying attention, DiNozzo!" Gibbs warned in a deadly tone. "In case you have forgotten, you are still under protective custody. If I can't trust you to obey orders and remain within sight in the field, I'll have you sitting at a desk doing reports for the rest of your life! Got it?"

"Got it, Boss." Tony answered, stepping back into the clearing. He released the breath that he was holding as Gibbs spun and stormed away. It had been over a week since he had been cleared by Ducky to return to duty. Gibbs had been resistant initially, tending to delegate him with the safest jobs when they were out in the field, ensuring that he was in sight of at least one of them at all times. Tony sighed silently as he began to sketch the scene from his new location, aware of both Kate and McGee watching him with sympathy in their eyes. His mind wandered back to his kidnapping and escape. He remembered very little of what happened and would never admit to anyone that when he had been told of his kidnapper's escape he had even been scared about Harding coming after him.

Gibbs had seemed to launch into a protective mode that Tony had never seen in the man before. At first insistent that Tony stay with him at his house under twenty-four hour guard, Tony had finally been able to convince Gibbs that he no longer required the costly protection. After four weeks of freedom, he doubted that Harding was still around the area and a danger to him any longer. Gibbs had reluctantly withdrawn the guard and allowed Tony to return to his own apartment and back to office duties.

He had the sensation that Gibbs was unofficially covering his six during the night. He suspected that the lead agent was spending half the night in his car, carrying out his own form of protective custody. While Gibbs actions were comforting to the younger agent, Tony also found them a little smothering. The protective streak had really become evident to everyone on the team when Tony had asked to return to active duties.

"DiNozzo, are you going to stand there daydreaming or working?"

Gibbs' impatient shout yanked Tony from his thoughts and he quickly refocused on his job and began to draw. Standing in the shadows, a figure raised his camera and clicked the shutter several times. He smiled to himself as he watched the team for several more minutes before he turned and silently walked away.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

The bullpen was silent as Gibbs sat in the dim light of his computer screen, sipping scalding-hot coffee and staring at the negative reports on Harding as they flickered across his screen. He glanced down at his watch and sighed. He would give DiNozzo at least another hour to fall asleep before he headed over to the young man's apartment to carry out the clandestine surveillance in his car.

"You know, Jethro, that you are smothering young Anthony with the way you are treating him at the moment!" Ducky's soft cultured voice caused Gibbs to jump a little, splashing coffee onto his hand.

Quickly grabbing his handkerchief to wipe the hot liquid from his hand, Gibbs looked up into Ducky's worried face. "That madman is still out there, Ducky, and as long as he is a threat to any member of my team, I will do my utmost to protect them!" He growled in defense, surprised that Ducky seemed fully aware of what he was doing.

The Medical Examiner sighed as he sat down on the desk edge and slowly removed his glasses, taking a moment to rub his eyes tiredly before replacing them and speaking. "I was worried about what after-effects the whole undercover operation might leave on that young man but I can see that the effects are more severe for you, Jethro. I know you feel responsible for what happened but it wasn't your fault. You did your best and Tony knew the risks when he went undercover! I think you need to talk about what you are feeling." Ducky ignored Gibbs' heated look and the deep-throated growl at the suggestion as he continued. "You have become obsessed with Anthony's safety, even to the point that it is starting to interfere with the work of this team! You know you can't guard Anthony for the rest of your life. Go home tonight, Jethro, work on your boat or get some sleep. Anthony will be safe, I promise."

"Ducky…"

Gibbs objection was cut off abruptly as Ducky rose to his feet. "I mean it, Jethro! Go home!" Ducky ordered firmly, his hands on his hips as he stared at the younger agent over the rim of his glasses giving no opening for disobedience of his order.

Gibbs sighed as he tiredly stood up. "Okay, Ducky, you win. I'll go home!" He muttered in defeat.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Moving stealthily through the dimly lit apartment, the dark figure silently entered the bedroom and stood next to the side of the bed watching the young man sleep. He remained motionless for several minutes enjoying the sight in front of him, watching as the man's chest rose and fell evenly, undisturbed by his presence.

Grinning, he carefully reached for the compact cell phone discarded on the small bedside table. He picked it up and quietly left the room, stepping into the small living room before he flipped it open and quickly checked the numbers in the digital phone book. He smiled as he found the number he was seeking and pushed the speed dial, only hearing the phone at the other end of the call ring twice before being answered.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Snatching up his cell phone after the second ring, Gibbs flipped it open, immediately identifying the caller as DiNozzo from the caller I.D. "This better be good, DiNozzo, it's two in the morning!" He growled into the phone, not wanting Tony to know that he was still awake worrying about his safety.

"Ahh, Agent Gibbs. So nice to hear your voice again." The soft voice sent chills through Gibbs' body as he immediately identified the voice as not DiNozzo's but the man who had caused Tony so much pain and suffering only weeks before.

"Harding!" The name was spat out of Gibbs mouth like a curse. He felt the fear rise to anger. "What are you doing with this phone? Where is…?"

The soft laughter of the drug-addicted murderer reverberated into his ear. "Why Gibbs, he is here with me sleeping peacefully in his bed. I must admit though, he does look so much younger when he is asleep. Don't you agree?"

"If you hurt him in any way…" Gibbs warned but was cut off abruptly by another evil laugh.

"Why Agent Gibbs, Agent DiNozzo is perfectly healthy. Why would I want to hurt my play toy? If you don't believe me, you are welcome to come and check on him!" A soft chuckle echoed through the phone before the loud click disconnected Gibbs from Harding.


	2. Chapter 2

Fear was not an emotion that Leroy Jethro Gibbs very often experienced but it almost overwhelmed him now. He paced in the shadows of the silent apartment building, waiting for McGee and Todd to arrive. The sickening knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach as he listened to Harding's taunts over the phone now morphed into a hard rock and he glanced down at his watch in nervous agitation before his eyes drifted to the dark windows of DiNozzo's apartment above. Damn it! He should have been here, watching DiNozzo's six. He knew that Harding was still a threat so why the hell had he allowed Ducky to talk him into going home.

The sound of a car's wheels turning on the concrete driveway pulled him from the self- recriminating thoughts and he moved out into the open to meet with the car's two occupants. The trio spoke briefly before one moved back to the car and opened the trunk, pulling out the three bulletproof vests contained within. The vests were quickly donned as the dark figures moved silently towards the stairs, each un-holstering their weapons in preparation as they silently approached the door to their colleague's apartment.

Positioning themselves on either side of the door, Kate and McGee held their guns in readiness as they watched Gibbs hold up three fingers. He lowered them one at a time silently counting down. As his last finger dropped, he lifted his foot and kicked open the door. The trio moved in, quickly scanning the outer rooms for intruders before moving to the closed bedroom door.

The sound of his front door being kicked in woke Tony with a start and, disorientated by being pulled so abruptly from a sound sleep, he reached automatically for the weapon on the bedside table. He barely had time to pick it up and aim it towards his bedroom door before it was also kicked violently open and the light was switched on, blinding him with its sudden brightness. Only instinct prevented him from pulling the trigger as he recognized Gibbs' voice yell. "NCIS! Drop your weapon!"

"What the…? Boss?" The confusion in Tony's voice was evident as he lowered his gun and lifted his hand to shelter his eyes from the bright glare of the light as he stared at his boss and colleagues in totally bewilderment. "What…? Why…?"

"Where's Harding?" Gibbs demanded, his eyes scanning the room expectantly. "What did he do?"

Tony blinked in bewilderment, uncertain of the answer Gibbs seemed to be expecting. "Harding? Why would you think Harding was here?" He glanced at Kate and McGee in total confusion before he turned back and watched Gibbs quickly crossed the room and pulled open his closet, gun raised as if he expected to find the criminal hiding within. The three NCIS agents jumped as Gibbs uttered a curse when he found the closet empty. "What's going on?" Tony asked again, confused, as he looked back at Kate and Tim.

"Gibbs got a call on your cell phone…"

Kate's answer was cut of abruptly as Gibbs re-holstered his gun and moved over to the side of the bed. "Harding just talked to me from your cell phone! To taunt me that he was in the apartment with you!" Gibbs growled, his eyes now darting over Tony, searching for any sign of trauma or abuse.

The sudden realization that Kate was in the room caused Tony to blush and pull the sheet that had fallen away when he sat up back up covering himself as he stared up into Gibbs' tense and worried face. "From my cell phone?" He asked as he quickly searched around for the phone that he had left on the bedside table in easy reach when he had gone to bed. Unable to initially locate it, he began to search around the side of the table in case he had knocked it from the table in his sleep. He sighed in relief as he found it entangled in the sheet, open and the last called number flashing Gibbs' name. "Ummm, I think I might have accidentally hit the speed dial in my sleep, Boss." He sheepishly admitted holding up the phone for the others to see. "Sorry."

"Bag it!" The terse order startled the three younger agents and they stared at the senior agent in surprise.

"Bag it?' Kate asked, uncertain if she had heard the order correctly.

Gibbs turned and pinned her with an angry glare. "Are you having trouble understanding orders, Todd? I said 'Bag it!' and that's what I meant! I want it over to the lab for Abby to take fingerprints. I want a lab team over here now! Everything is to be fingerprinted and photographed. This apartment is to be treated as a crime scene. I want to know how Harding gained entry; if anyone saw him and what the hell he was doing here! Is that clear?"

Kate nodded silently as she turned and left the apartment to radio for the ordered lab crew and to get the equipment required to transform Tony's apartment into a crime scene.

Turning back to the man still sitting stunned in the bed, Gibbs growled. "I want you to get dressed, DiNozzo, and then pack a bag. You are staying at my place until this maniac is caught!"

"But, Boss…" Tony's objection was cut off before he had a chance to voice it.

"That was not a request, Tony, that was an order! Harding has proved that he can reach you here in your apartment. That means you are vulnerable here and you are still under protection. I never should have allowed that protection to lapse! I'm not going to give him another chance to get near you!" Gibbs growled angrily before he turned and stalked out of the room with McGee casting a sympathetic look towards Tony before hurrying out of the room after Gibbs.

McGee stood and waited patiently for orders as he watched Gibbs prowl the room as if searching for evidence that Harding had been there. Finally Gibbs stopped and turned to face the probationary agent. "I want you to help Kate to photograph the apartment and, after you are finished, I want a full background check on all of Harding's acquaintances, anyone who may be harboring him here in the DC area. I also want another full check on the guard - Owens? Think his name was. The one that helped Harding to escape. I'm taking Tony back with me to NCIS."

"On it, Boss!" McGee stammered as Gibbs turned away from him and back to the bedroom to hurry Tony along.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Following Gibbs into the dimly lit NCIS building, Tony was surprised when Gibbs led him directly to Ducky's lab and not to the bullpen. As they entered, he caught sight of Ducky, dozing in his chair. Used to listening for his mother even in slumber, the M.E. instantly woke as he heard the quiet footsteps of the men. It was obvious that the older man had been woken from a deep sleep and called in to NCIS just to examine him. Several empty syringes and a tourniquet were carefully arranged on the table near where Ducky now waited.

Tony turned slowly towards a reticent Gibbs and quietly asked. "What's going on?"

With a light shove to his back, Gibbs directed him towards the seat that Ducky had just vacated. "You are going to have a blood test, Tony."

Tony frowned as Ducky instructed him to sit down and then rolled up his sleeve. He gritted his teeth as the needle slid into the crook of his arm and Ducky fished about for a moment before entering the vein. Looking back up at Gibbs, Tony asked. "OK Boss, what exactly are you expecting to find?"

"The reason why you didn't wake up when Harding was in your apartment.” Gibbs stated simply as he leaned back against the counter and watched as Ducky drew the three vials of blood.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Leaning back against the counter, Tony surreptitiously rubbed at the small puncture wound in the crook of his arm as he watched everyone gather in Abby's lab to update Gibbs on the intruder in his apartment case.

He sighed internally at Gibbs' overprotection but wondered if something more than just Harding's escape motivated the streak. His thoughts were pulled back to the room as Gibbs finally entered and handed a large cup of Caf-Pow to Abby before demanding. "OK what have we got?"

Abby accepted the drink and took a sip before placing the cup down on the desk as she swung herself around and picked up the evidence bag that held Tony's cell phone. "Zilch, Gibbs!" She announced as she passed the bag across to him. "The only prints on Tony's phone are Tony's- no latent or any other prints that would indicate anyone wearing gloves had used it. All the prints we found in Tony's apartment have been identified. If Harding was there, Boss man, he didn't touch anything or he was wearing gloves. No signs that the lock to Tony's apartment door had been tampered with and there were no signs of forced entry to any of his windows. I'm still examining the splinters of the door you kicked in. I'm hoping to find some indication of some type of break in."

Gibbs nodded silently as Kate began her report. "Nobody noticed anyone hanging around Tony's apartment building and the security camera shows no one arriving or leaving the apartment complex after 10 pm until our arrival at 2.15 am. Nothing in the apartment seems disturbed or missing, Gibbs, but Tony may need to check later and confirm this."

"All of Harding's acquaintances come up clean, Boss." McGee added. "All of them are still under full surveillance. So far Harding hasn't surfaced at any of their locations. The guard who helped Harding in the escape is a dead end as well. He had a heart attack two days ago and is in Washington General Hospital in the ICU." He concluded softly.

Gibbs growled in frustration before he turned to the Medical Examiner for his report. "Duck?"

Ducky shook his head tiredly and removed his glasses. "Anthony's blood results have returned clear, Jethro. No drugs detected at all. His blood count is a little low and he needs an iron supplement but that is to be expected after all the trauma his body endured a few weeks ago."

"Damn it, we are missing something here. Harding was in Tony's apartment tonight!" Gibbs yelled as his frustration and anger boiled over at the negative reports.

The small group surrounding him glanced at each other, none willing to voice what they believed had happened. Finally Ducky sighed and with a nod dismissed the others from the room. He waited for them to go before he walked around to where Gibbs stared at the small cell phone he held in his hands. Placing a hand gently on the younger man's back, Ducky quietly said. "Jethro, Tony told me that he believes he may have accidentally called your number in his sleep when he knocked the phone onto the bed. It is possible you know."

"Ducky, I know who I heard on the other end of the phone. Harding must have placed the phone in the bed with Tony after he made the call. He is playing games with us!" Gibbs insisted.

Ducky studied the agent silently for a few moments before he quietly explained. "I know that you believe you heard Harding, Jethro, but look at you! You are exhausted. I think what may have happened is you fell asleep with young Anthony's safety on your mind. When Tony accidentally hit your number, you only partially awoke, saw his number on the caller I.D. and your tired imagination did the rest."

"Ducky, I know what I heard!" Gibbs defended angrily. "Harding is still out there and tonight he managed to get into Tony's apartment and use his phone to taunt us. I am NOT going to allow that to happen again!"

Ducky sighed. "Go home, Jethro, get some sleep. Young Anthony needs to rest as well. We will talk about this more when you return in a few hours’ time!"

Glaring at the older man, Gibbs suddenly turned on his heel and stormed from the room. Passing Tony and Abby in the outer corridor, he ordered Tony to follow him as he angrily stepped into the elevator, certain that Tony was not far behind.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Standing silently against the back wall of the elevator, Tony studied the tense posture of his boss. "You know, Boss, you don't have to baby sit me. I can take care of myself." He said quietly.

He watched as Gibbs' posture stiffened with his words before Gibbs' fist slammed the emergency button, bringing the small elevator to a sudden and sickening halt. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the look in Gibbs' eye in the dim emergency lighting when the older man swung around towards him.

"You're one of mine, DiNozzo!" he breathed quietly, his face only inches from Tony's. "And I take care of my own! And until I say otherwise YOU will do as I say! Is that understood?"

Tony nodded and looked over the older man's shoulder before he whispered, "I'm one of yours, Boss, got it!"

He felt Gibbs' reach up and gently grab his jaw forcing his face to look up at Gibbs as Gibbs quietly ordered. "Tony, look at me!"

Tony swallowed hard as he looked into Gibbs' eyes as Gibbs whispered more forcibly, "You're one of mine and I protect my own, understand?'

Tony could only nod wordlessly as he felt the firm grip that Gibbs held onto his jaw loosen and turn into what almost felt like a caress before Gibbs' hand dropped away and the older man turned and hit the button that would send the car to the parking lot. Tony allowed his head to drop back against the back wall as he closed his eyes listening to Gibbs' words as they echoed through his mind. 'You're one of mine!' A small smile tugged at the younger man's lips as strange sense of belonging washed over him. 'Gibbs would watch his six!'

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Grimacing as he took a sip of the now cold mug of coffee, Gibbs stepped back and studied the rib he had just been sanding. He sighed and took a large swig of the contents of his mug; frustrated that even working on the boat bought him no escape from his thoughts and fears.

It was Harding who had phoned him on DiNozzo's cell phone earlier. Harding had been in that apartment, had stood over Tony as he slept to let him know how easy it was to get assess to the young agent. They had been extremely lucky tonight that Harding had only wanted to taunt, lucky that the drug addict had not had other more sinister motives for tonight.

A growl erupted from his throat and the mug sailed across the room, shattering against the wall before crushing to the floor. Dammit, this was not some trick of his imagination! He didn't care what the search of DiNozzo's apartment showed or rather failed to show - he knew what had happened! Whether he was exhausted or not, he had not imagined the call Harding had been in that apartment and nothing would change that fact!

"Boss?"

Startled by the soft-spoken question, Gibbs turned and stared at the figure on the stairs. He felt his heart beat a little faster by the sight of the man standing there. DiNozzo looked even younger than he normally did with his hair still tousled by sleep, his firm, lean body silhouetted by the brighter light shining down the basement stairs from the kitchen.

Swallowing hard, Gibbs cleared his throat before he growled. "What the hell do you think you doing, DiNozzo? You're supposed to be still sleeping! Ducky told you to get some more rest!"

Tony grinned as he stepped off the bottom stair and began to walk around the skeleton of the boat, examining her as he spoke. "I'm not the only one Ducky told to get some rest, Boss, if I remember correctly."

"I am resting, DiNozzo!" Gibbs snarled.

"Aha." Tony replied as he carefully ran his hand over the wood admiring the smoothness beneath his hand. He glanced at Gibbs, biting his lip in indecision before he asked softly. "You really think that Harding was in my apartment, Boss?"

Reaching for the sandpaper, Gibbs froze at the question. He looked up into the green eyes that were studying him waiting an answer. "Tony, I have no doubts at all that Harding was in your apartment. I know that we have found nothing so far to support this but I DO know that Harding phoned me with your cell phone from your apartment tonight. And I DO believe he is still a danger to you!"

Nodding his head in silent acknowledgement, Tony swallowed hard as he looked across at his boss and forced a small smile. "I guess we should start getting ready for work, Boss. Want some coffee before we go?"

Gibbs glanced down at his watch; surprised to discover it was a little after nine. He had not realized that he had been down in the basement for so long. He grinned as he looked back at DiNozzo. "We can grab some on the way."

Tony smirked. "What about Ducky?"

"Go get dressed, Tony. Leave Ducky to me!" Gibbs grinned as he walked towards the stairs. "I want to leave in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes Boss, got ya!" Tony acknowledged as he turned and sprinted up the stairs.

A grim look flittered across the older agent's face as he watched Tony disappear through the door. He had let done his guard last night and Harding had taken the advantage and had taunted him with how vulnerable Tony was. He would not allow that to happen again! He would cover Tony's six like glue even if it meant keeping DiNozzo by his side 24/7.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

He watched as the two agents emerged from the house, a small smile playing on his lips. "Ahhh Gibbs, you really don't believe that this will protect him, do you?" he whispered. Laughing heartily, he watched the car they had just got in pull away before he started the engine to his own and followed at a discreet distance.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate frowned as she studied the crime scene pictures from Tony's apartment, looking- no- searching for some clue that something was amiss. So far she had found nothing that indicated either Harding or anyone else having been in the apartment with Tony the previous night. 'Not even a female.' She thought quirkily, a small smile momentarily brightening her exhausted demeanor. She filed that little titbit away in her mental box of Tony zings for use at a later date. She gently rolled her head around on her shoulders trying to lose the tension in them as she glanced across at McGee. "Find anything?"

Jumping at the unexpected soft call, McGee looked up from his screen. "If Harding is in Washington, D. C., then he is doing a good job at staying under the radar. It's like he has disappeared in a puff of smoke. There is no trail of him anywhere, here or anywhere else." He told the other agent frustrated by the lack of progress from hours of computer searching. "Still no sightings or even phone contacts with any of his acquaintances! Nothing!"

"Well, you better get me something, McGee, and get it fast!" The senior agent ignored the startled gasp and the "On it Boss!" from the young agent as he strolled briskly towards his desk, followed closely by Tony.

"I thought that Ducky sent you home to rest?" Kate asked, surprised by the very unexpected arrival of the two men.

"He did. I did. Now I'm back! So what have you got for me?" Gibbs answered as he reached his desk and sat down, his eyes never leaving DiNozzo as the younger agent settled at his own desk and powered up his computer.

"Not much I'm afraid, Gibbs. Still no evidence that Harding was anywhere near Tony's apartment last night. Abby managed to put together the splinters of the door but we did the only damage she found." Turning her attention to Tony, Kate added. "The apartment manager wasn't too happy about the damage but I have managed to cool him down by promising all the damage will be repaired by NCIS."

"Thanks Kate." Tony smiled.

"Any way Harding could get into the apartment without being noticed?" Gibbs growled.

"None that we can see, unless he had a key I suppose." Kate ventured. The security cameras are fixed, I guess if he was careful enough he might be able to avoid being filmed but he would have cased the apartment building out thoroughly and then got Tony's key."

"Any chance of Harding getting your apartment keys, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, pinning him with a stare.

"My keys are with me at all times, Boss. Have them on the same ring as my car keys." Tony answered. He felt his pockets and breathed a sigh of relief at the bulky lump he found indicating his keys were indeed safe.

"Check it out, Kate. I want to know if anyone has seen Harding around the apartment building in the last few weeks. If there are any duplicates of apartment keys and who has access to them." Gibbs commanded before his desk phone ringing broke his attention.

Grabbing the hand set, he snapped, "Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, I see that you decided that Tony is safer under your watchful eye."

Instantly recognizing the voice. Gibbs signaled McGee to begin a trace. "Harding!" he growled, looking automatically across at Tony. Tony's head snapped up and he watched Gibbs intently.

The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled and deepened. "I must admit, Gibbs, DiNozzo did look so good in those green boxers he was wearing at your house this morning. It was a pleasure watching him get dressed before you left for work. Mmmmm - A pleasure indeed!" The voice ended with a chuckle as the words chilled Gibbs' blood. He sat with the receiver still to his ear as the quiet beeps of the call being disconnected echoed through the phone. He forced his attention away from Tony and turned to McGee, hoping for a positive result.

"Sorry, Boss, not long enough."

"Not long enough or were you too slow!" Gibbs snapped as Harding's words resonated in his mind. "I want that call traced and I don't care how you do it!" He demanded, knowing he was ordering the impossible.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Slowly hanging up the phone, Paul Harding grinned as he turned and stared at the elevator. The urge to see the effect of his phone call to the lead agent was almost overwhelming but he knew there was more work to be done before his plans were complete. "This is just the beginning, Gibbs." He murmured as he walked back towards the guard at the entrance doors, "Your worst nightmare has just begun."

He smiled as he walked past he guard before he turned and paused, slapping his head dramatically as if he had forgotten something. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small white envelope and he walked back to the guard. "Excuse me but I forgot to deliver this to Agent Gibbs. It's personal and extremely important that he receive it." He explained softly as he passed the sealed letter to the young officer adding conspiratorially, "I'm hoping to join his team, so I thought I might stack the odds in my favor if I gave him some information about myself that is not held in my file." He grinned and winked. "You would be doing me a huge favor if you delivered this to him."

"I'm not sure…." The guard murmured as Harding pushed the envelope into his hand. He glanced down at the item he now held in his hand and grinned as he noticed the $100 bill folded neatly beneath before he looked up. "But I can't see any harm in that. I mean it's not like it can contain anything that might hurt him." He replied as he quickly tucked the money into his pocket.

Harding laughed as he slapped the young man on the shoulder, "Do I look like the type who would hurt an NCIS agent, especially an agent like Agent Gibbs?" He winked before he turned and walked away.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Timothy McGee considered himself as a bit of a computer geek but even all the computer knowledge that he had acquired could not perform the miracle that his boss now demanded from him. The phone call that Gibbs had just received could not have been traced even if they had had time to begin one - the call was just too short. He cleared his throat nervously as he prepared himself for the inevitable explosion, as he again had to confirm that the miracle his boss expected was just outside the realm of possibility.

"Well McGee?"

Gibbs expectant voice caused the youngest agent to jump and he glanced up from the monitor and swallowed nervously before he managed to stutter. "Um…I'm…I'm sorry ..."

"NCIS agents are never sorry, McGee!" Gibbs snapped angrily as he slammed the Styrofoam cup of coffee he held in his hand onto the table, ignoring the hot liquid as it splashed over the rim and onto his hand and table. "And if you are about to tell me that you couldn't trace that call, than you had better think again."

"Gibbs…" Kate interrupted the boss' angry tirade.

"Boss." Tony quickly tried to interject, as he rose and stepped between his fellow agents and their agitated boss. "Even if Probie was able to trace the call, Harding would be long gone by now."

"Even if Harding is gone, DiNozzo," Gibbs turned angrily back towards his senior agent.

"Excuse me, Agent Gibbs."

The four agents turned and watched as a nervous young security guard hurried towards him, a slim envelope clutched tightly in his hand. As he reached the silver haired agent, his nervousness became more apparent as he shoved the envelope into Gibbs' hand. "I…I was asked to deliver this to you in person, Sir."

"You were asked to deliver this?" Staring down at the envelope in suspicion, Gibbs looked back up into the security guard's eyes, as he demanded. "Did you even bother to get this checked before you delivered it to me?"

The guard swallowed hard as he cast a fearful glance from the other three agents who were silently watching the exchange. Finding no support, he apprehensively returned his attention back to the angry man waiting for his answer. "Mum…I…I didn't think…" At the smouldering expression on Gibbs' face, he rushed on to explain. "It's…it's from an NCIS agent who said he was hoping to get a spot on your team...I mean, it wasn't like it was someone just straight in from the street, Sir, he had an ID badge and had just exited the building. He was one of our guys, Sir, not some terrorist." The guard defended as he read the fury in the lead agent's expression.

"How much did he pay you?" Gibbs growled at the young man.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?" The guard asked, his face paling at the question.

"How… much… were… you… paid… to… deliver… the… envelope?" Gibbs growled again, "And don't you dare try and treat me like an idiot and tell me you weren't!"

"$100." The younger man admitted reluctantly as the lead agent stared at him in disgust.

Turning away from the man, Gibbs began to snap out orders, "McGee, get this envelope down to Abby, have her check it out for anything that might be dangerous as well as any prints or any other information she can gleam from it."

"On it, Boss." McGee answered automatically as he quickly jumped up from his seat and retrieve the envelope, silently relieved to escape the tension in the bullpen.

Turning back to the terrified guard, the lead agent snarled, "I want you to give a full description of the agent who gave you the envelope and I expect you to remember every little detail about him, even down to the colour of the socks he was wearing, Understand?" At the guard's terrified nod, Gibbs turned to his female agent and nodded, "Kate, I want everything he can give us and I want it now."

"Will do, Gibbs." Kate answered as she stood and hurried to where the men stood, grabbing the guard by the arm before leading him away.

Turning back towards his senior agent, Gibbs found himself unsettled under the close scrutiny of the green eyes of the younger man.

"You aren't seriously thinking the man in the lobby was Harding, are you Boss?'" Tony asked quietly.

"That possibility hasn't escaped me, DiNozzo." Gibbs growled, annoyed that the younger man was beginning to read him like a book.

"Boss, Harding would have to be crazy to come here and take the risk of calling you from the lobby where he knows he is surrounded by agents that are searching for him." Tony began.

"Harding is crazy, DiNozzo." Gibbs warned quietly as he began to head towards the elevator, confident that Tony would follow without being told as he continued. "That's what makes him so dangerous." He stated as he stabbed the button for the elevator door and stepped inside as the doors opened, falling silent as he watched Tony also enter.

Pressing the button that would take them down to Abby's lab, he allowed the elevator to commence its downward journey before striking the emergency stop and halting the descent before turning to face his agent. "And I am NOT going to risk him getting close to you." Gibbs uttered from between clenched teeth as he stepped closer. "I almost lost you once to this maniac, I am not going to lose you again!"

Tony stared at his boss, surprised at the intensity of his tone and words. He knew that deep down, Gibbs did care what happened to him but in the past few weeks he had found the older agent demonstrating it more and more, not only in his words but his actions. For the first time in Tony DiNozzo's life, he felt that someone actually gave a damn about what happened to him. He swallowed hard as he nodded. "You have my six, Boss, gotcha."

“I have more than your six, DiNozzo. I am not going to risk losing you again. Not to this maniac, not to anyone, understand?" He promised fiercely as he stepped back and hit the button setting the elevator in motion again.

"Understood, Boss." Tony grinned.

"I don't want you out of my sight DiNozzo until we have caught this maniac." Gibbs ordered before adding more quietly, "You're too important to me!"

"Got it, Boss."


	4. Chapter 4

"Gibbs doesn't really believe that Harding entered the building and called him from the phone, does he?" Abby asked as she gently brushed the fingerprint powder across the unopened envelope, revealing several bold prints.

"He does." McGee answered solemnly as he watched the Goth work, "I've never seen him so…so…"

"Obsessed is the word I think you are looking for my dear boy." Ducky suggested as he entered the lab and walked across to the bench to peer at the envelope Abby was carefully lifting prints from. "Unfortunately Jethro reminds me of a dog with a bone at times like these. He refuses to let go. I remember once, oh just before you joined NCIS, Abigail, he was involved with a particularly nasty case – three navy wives had been brutally beaten to death in their own homes while their husbands were away. There were several suspects but Jethro believed…"

The soft swish of the lab door opening interrupted the conversation as Gibbs strode in with a slightly flustered looking Tony close on his heels. "What have you got Abs?" He demanded as he reached the bench where the three were now seated.

"Now Gibbs, how about a please?" Abby teased.

"Abby!" Gibbs growled.

"Okay, okay Mr Grouchy pants." Abby smiled as she swung back towards the envelope. "I got several good prints off of the envelope and I am running them for a match now."

"One set will be mine and a set will be the guards." Gibbs interrupted.

"Already hit matches for you both but there was a third set of prints found." Abby told the lead agent excitedly, as she pressed a button on the computer that showed on the large screen that two sets of prints had be matched to Gibbs and the young guard and the computer was searching for a match for the third set of prints. "No matches so far with military personal so I am checking the FBI database now."

"Any idea what's in the envelope?" Tony asked as he settled onto a fourth stool.

"It feels like a small memory card. I haven't been able to detect any wires or anything that might trigger a device when the envelope is opened." Abby answered as she ran her fingers lightly across the envelope, outline the tiny rectangular item within.

"What about X-raying it?" Gibbs asked.

"If it is some type of memory card, Gibbs, than X-raying it could destroy the information that it contains." Abby explained as she pulled the envelope towards herself and slipped the small sharp blade of the opener beneath the flap and carefully tore it open. She turned the envelope upside - down and shook it gently until a small memory card fell onto the bench followed a moment later by a small white card.

Carefully picking up a small pair of tweezers Abby grasped the card and turned it over revealing the hand written message printed on the other side.

 

Gibbs,  
I bet that you will agree DiNozzo  
looks great no matter what he is doing -  
whether he is working in the field or in the bullpen  
or when he is simply playing or asleep.  
Enjoy the sight of him now Gibbs because  
soon he will be back with me.  
and there is nothing you can do  
to prevent me taking my toy back.  
LET THE GAME BEGIN 

 

"Oh ...My!" Ducky gasped as he silently read the white card as McGee picked up and slipped the small memory card into a nearby digital camera before downloading the pictures onto the computer. Any more comments were silenced by shock as several pictures began to flicker across the computer screen.

Each photo featured Tony and had been taken over the last several weeks since Harding's escape. Some of the photos showed Tony emerging from the hospital, just hours after Harding's escape others showed the young agent working at various crime scenes, in nightclubs and even asleep in his own bed but the most disturbing shots of all were the photos of Tony taken within the bullpen taken both during the day and at night.

"Gibbs?" Abbey whispered frightened by the photos.

"It appears I owe you an apology, Jethro." Ducky murmured quietly, his eyes still locked on the image on the screen.

"Damn it! He has been stalking DiNozzo ever since his escape. How the hell has he been able to stalk and photo Tony without us being aware that he was there." Gibbs growled in disbelief as the last photo that showed both Tony and he emerging from his house that morning flickered and froze upon the screen. Just how in the hell was he able to get into the bullpen and take photos and not be noticed?" He yelled angrily turning to glare at McGee.

"I…I… don't know, Boss." McGee stammered under the heated stare, "B...b...but I'll try and find out. I'll check the security tapes." He mumbled as he turned and fled from the room.

Turning back towards the bench, anything else he was about to say was interrupted by the soft beep of the computer that indicated a match to the fingerprints. All eyes turned to the computer verifying what they already knew – The prints on the envelope belonged to Paul Harding.

Turning again to stare at the photos on the screen, Tony felt icy tendrils of fear begin to wrap around his soul. The memories of his undercover assignment and the first two days spent in the hospital were extremely patchy and what little memories he did possess warned him that the rest were best left forgotten.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"I swear, Agent Todd, it was the first time I have ever accepted money from the agent who gave me the envelope for Agent Gibbs." The young guard anxiously rubbed his hand through his hair as he again tried to explain why he had accepted the envelope and the money, even though he knew it broke all NCIS security rules. "I thought he was legit. I mean he was headed out of the building. He had already been inside. He had ALREADY been cleared by us earlier! He was one of our guys- he had a clearance badge!"

"He had a clearance badge?"

The young guard nodded enthusiastically, hoping that Agent Todd now understood why he had broken security procedures and accepted the envelope from one of their own guys. "Yeah, he was definitely one of our guys!"

"So you can give me a name as well as a description." Kate demanded.

"Umm, I…I didn't notice his name. I mean… he was one of our guys… and he had already been cleared before…" The guard stammered, blushing at the admission of his laxness in security. "I know what I did was against regulations but he was one of our guys…"

"So you accepted a bribe and an envelope from an agent that you didn't know or never even bothered to identify." Kate growled angrily as she leaned forward in her seat. "And you never thought it was strange that he would ask you to deliver the envelope to Agent Gibbs rather than bring it up himself? Or did the $100 he offered you make you conveniently forget that he was asking you to break security rules?"

"It wasn't like that!" The guard denied hotly, "The money didn't mean anything. I was just trying to help an agent. I swear I never meant to do anything more than that!" The young man swallowed hard as he lowered his voice and asked, "I know I messed up Agent Todd and I promise that I will do anything to make up for my mistake but please, can we keep this from my supervisor? This is my third warning, if he finds out I messed up again it will be my job!"

Glaring at the guard in disgust, Kate ignored the plea as she pulled across her sketch book and softly commanded. "I want every little detail you can give me about the man's appearance. Do NOT leave out a single detail, understand?"

Sensing the agent's disgust and lack of sympathy, the guard's shoulders slumped as he nodded his agreement. Slowly he began to describe the agent who had asked him for his help and who had sweetened the request with $100.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Turning away from the screen that matched Harding's fingerprints with the prints on the envelope, Gibbs turned towards the Goth. "Abby…"

"I'll check the envelope and the card. Maybe I can find out who manufactured them and where they were sold." Abby completed the unspoken order as she reached for the card, rising from her seat as she carefully began to smooth the paper.

"Oh my, I should have realized that a man as cunning and as knowledgeable of drugs like Harding might not use something easily traceable to knock young Anthony out." Ducky murmured angrily to himself as he found himself staring at the brightly lit photos of Tony asleep in bed. "I'm sorry Jethro. I'll run a more specific drug test on young Anthony's blood sample, to test for drugs that a standard drug test would miss. There are a few new and exotic drugs that I can look for that might explain why Tony slept through the flashes of the camera."

"Thanks Duck." Gibbs nodded as the ME hurried out of the lab, ignoring the older man's soft self-rebukes that he should have looked harder as he turned to face the man by his side.

The senior agent appeared pale and unnerved as he stared at the photos of himself on the computer screen, his green eyes wide as he silently studied each one. The disbelief and fear that the man who had tortured and almost killed him before being captured and then slipping through their fingers had been stalking him without his knowledge.

"He is not going to win, Tony, he is not going to be able to get this close to you again." Gibbs' soft voice close to his ear startled the young agent and Tony turned to find himself staring into the determined eyes of his boss. 

"Not when I have your six, DiNozzo!"

Tony nodded as he forced the fear to the back of his mind and smiled. "Gotcha Boss, you have my six!"

"Damn right I have, DiNozzo, now let's gets to work and catch this bastard!" Gibbs ordered as he turned and headed out of lab towards the lift with Tony hurrying behind.


	5. Chapter 5

Anger did not describe the true depth of the emotion that Kate was feeling at this specific moment in time – neither did the words - rage, disgust or fury! She resisted the urge to pull her gun and shoot the man who now sat in front of her trying to explain why he had just given warnings instead of dismissing the security guard who had so blatantly flouted the rules and regulations.

"I know I should have reported him when I found him sleeping on duty, Agent Todd, but I thought a warning and transferring him onto day shift was a sufficient punishment. After all it was just after midnight and there were only a skeleton staff of agents within the building, it can get kinda boring on long nights like that - easy to doze off." The acting Security Supervisor explained, shifting uncomfortably under the female agent's heated glare. 

"There were no reports of any unauthorized activity or persons that night. I checked the security tapes myself, no one entered or left the building. I figured no foul- no harm done!"

"And the second time you gave him a warning?" Kate growled, her anger bubbling to the surface as she glanced down at the file she held open in front of her where the two warnings had been documented in only the barest details. "Your report says that he was not found at his post during a routine evening check carried out by yourself." The supervisor nodded slowly but did not offer any more information, forcing Kate to grate out between clenched teeth. "Well would you like to tell me where he was and how long he had left the door unattended?"

"I found him in the men's room smoking a cigarette." The supervisor admitted reluctantly. "I told him that this was the last time he would receive a warning, that the next time would result in immediate dismissal."

"So there is a real possibility that by this guard's actions, the security and safety of this building and the people within it has been breached on at least three occasions that we are aware of?" The heated tone of Kate's voice caused the Acting Supervisor to flinch as he slowly nodded his agreement as Kate continued. "How many other security guards have you shown such leniency towards?"

"None!" The supervisor answered quickly, "Joey is the only one that I have had to reprimand."

"I hope so, I am sure both the director and Agent Gibbs will want to discuss the breaches of security with you in the not too distant future!" Kate informed the now pale supervisor before she pushed a photocopied drawing of a man towards him. "I want this shown to all the guards. If anyone recognizes or remembers this agent please have them report directly to myself or Agent Gibbs! This man is believed to have compromised NCIS security!" She informed him coolly as she stood up.

He nodded silently as he watched her hurry from the room. Only after the door closed softly behind her did he drop his head into his hands, aware that his own laxness with dealing with subordinates had just cost him his job.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Rubbing his hand lightly over the smooth sanded surface of the wooden ribs of the boat, Harding studied the workmanship that was being lovingly used to craft the vessel. A small smile tugged at his lips as he stepped away from the boat and slowly looked around the basement. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he headed back to the stairs, climbing them to do a final check of the layout of the bedrooms and the rest of the house, ensuring he knew it thoroughly. He paused a moment in the guest bedroom, staring at the empty bed and the small overnight bag tossed in the corner as he whispered. "You got away once, DiNozzo, but you won't get away from me again! Tonight, I promise, we are going to have some real fun."


	6. Chapter 6

The small beep from his computer instantly told McGee that he had a hit from the face recognition program he was using with Harding's photograph to scan the security footage of people entering and leaving the floor where the bullpen was located. He turned and stared at the screen at the image of a visitor that who had been flagged as a match before the computer beeped again and a second image popped up taken two days later of a NCIS agent who Tim did not recognize. "Umm Boss," he called across the pen, nodding towards the large screen as he tapped a few keys on his keyboard, "You might want to see this."

Rising to his feet and turning towards the large screen as Tony and Kate joined him, Gibbs stared at the two vastly different looking faces on the screen as a third beep sounded and the image of a third man appeared.

"I'm running Harding's' face through a facial recognition scan using the security footage for this floor," Tim began to explain as he looked up at the screen, "And we got some hits, Boss."

"How the Hell did he manage to get through security each time? And why did no one noticed him wandering around?" Gibbs demanded as there was a fourth beep and the image of the 'NCIS agent' described by the security guard as being the agent who had slipped him the one hundred dollars and the envelope to be handed to Gibbs appeared on the screen.

"He had a different disguise and probably a different excuse each time he was here." Kate observed as she studied the images.

"And because he was able to pass through security downstairs nobody would have even given him a second look, Boss." Tony added as he stared at the faces on the screen, attempting to recall if he had noticed any of them watching him.

"I think I know how he got through security each time, Boss," Tim announced softly as his fingers quickly moved over the keyboard before he looked back at the big screen which now showed Harding in one of his disguises pass something to the same guard whom he had paid to deliver the envelope before being waved through. Opening a second window, the agents watched as Harding in another of his disguises quickly crossed the foyer to where the same guard stood at the security gate and again passed something to the guard before being waved through.

Gibbs growled audibly as he watched the screen before he turned to Kate and ordered, "I want him in interrogation, now!"

"On it, Gibbs." She answered as she turned and hurried to the elevator.

"Jethro," Ducky called as the elevator door slid open and he and Abby stepped out, stepping around Kate as she stepped into the elevator, as they hurried to join the agents standing in front of the large screen, "We have found the reason why Tony to sleep so deeply when Harding was in his apartment taking his photos," he announced as he reached Gibbs. "We found a strange organic substance in Tony's blood which I had Abby analysis."

"It was Valeriana officinalis," Abby interrupted excitedly, "or more commonly known as Valerian."

"Valerian?" Gibbs frowned.

"Cat-nip, Gibbs." the Goth grinned.

"Cat-nip?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"Cat-nip is one of the many uses of the Valerian plant. It is also sold as a herbal remedy for various ailments, but the roots of the Valerian plant have been used for thousands of years to treat insomnia. In fact the Greek physician, Dioscorides, used valerian root to treat heart palpitations, digestive problems and insomnia. When mixed with other plants such as hops and kava-kava it becomes a very strong sedative that induces a potent, hypnotic sleep." Ducky explained.

"So Harding managed to slip Tony some cat-nip… er… I mean Valerian?" McGee frowned.

"He did." Ducky answered.

"How?" McGee's frown deepened.

"Well if it was mixed with alcohol or with the pain killers Tony was given after his release from hospital, Tony would have slipped into a deep sleep," Abby answered before turning back to Gibbs and adding, "he would have never heard Harding enter his apartment or been aware of Harding taking his photo."

"We now know why, Jethro but I think a trip to young Anthony's apartment may give us the answer of just how." Ducky suggested.

Gibbs nodded and turned to his lead agent, holding his hand out expectantly as he ordered, "Keys, DiNozzo." He waited a moment while Tony pulled his keys from his pocket and handed them to him before he turned and handed the keys straight to McGee. "Go with Ducky to Tony's apartment, I want everything Ducky decides needs to be bagged and tagged brought immediately back to Abby to be tested."

"On our way, Boss." McGee said as he turned and hurried towards the elevator with Ducky and Abby close behind him.

"What about me, Boss?"

"We have an interrogation to do, DiNozzo, or have you forgotten about that?" Gibbs growled.


	7. Chapter 7

Opening the refrigerator, Ducky frowned in dismay as he removed the pizza box of containing a single slice of what he assumed was once a sausage pizza before removing a carton of milk. Opening the carton, Ducky took a large, suspicious sniff before quickly holding it out at arm's length when the smell of curdled milk assaulted his nose. "Oh my Lord!" he muttered as he placed it on the counter before reaching back into the refrigerator and picking up what he could only hope was some type of blue cheese. Placing it on the counter for McGee to bag and tag. Ducky shook his head, "I have no idea how Tony has not given himself food poisoning. I doubt he has bought _any_ fresh food for months but I do know he has _not_ cleaned out his refrigerator since the last time he went food shopping."

Looking over his shoulder, Tim grinned as he watched Ducky reach back into the refrigerator before he turned and pulled out the last canister in the pantry, only half listening as Ducky began to tell a story about a particular nasty case of food poisoning he had once treated in while he served in Afghanistan. Tim smiled as he read Abby's familiar handwriting on the label - Herbal Tea. She had insisted on buying the herbal tea for Tony after Tony had reluctantly admitted to her that he had been plague by nightmares after he had been released from the hospital. She had insisted that the tea would help him sleep and would not interact with the painkillers and antibiotics Tony was taking. Lifting the lid off the canister, Tim took a small sniff before holding the canister at arm's length away from him as he quickly closed the lid. If the smell was anything to go by, he doubted that Tony would have even tried the tea.

"Well Timothy, if you have finished bagging everything in the pantry, I will get you to bag the…food… I collected from Tony's fridge," Ducky ordered softly as he closed the fridge door before walking to the sink and washing his hands as he continued, "and we will take them and all the other things we have collected back to Abby for testing."

"Do you think we will find anything?" Tim asked as he bagged the canister of tea, carefully labeling it, before he hurried across to the bench and began to bag and tag the food Ducky had placed there.

"I hope so, Timothy." Ducky answered as he turned back towards the young probationary agent, "I hope so."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Sitting at the table, the guard jumped as the interrogation door opened and Gibbs entered the room. He watched warily as Tony took up a position against the wall behind him before he turned and watched Gibbs walk across to the table and drop a manila folder onto it before sitting down on a chair on the other side of the table and stared at him without saying a word. The guard shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing down at the closed file which had his name printed on it before he looked up at Gibbs and asked, "Agent Gibbs, what's going on? I know I screwed up today but I have already told you everything I know."

"No, you didn't tell me everything but everything but this time you are." Gibbs ordered quietly as he opened the file and silently removed several photos, spreading the photos one by one on the table in front of the guard.

Glancing down at the photos, the guard swallowed hard, the photos were all of him manning the security doors. Startled by the photos, he looked up at Gibbs "I…I don't understand."

"Oh, but I am sure that you do understand." Gibbs answered softly as he nodded at the photos on the table, "And you are going to explain to me what you were doing in each of these still shots that we took from security tapes on four different days."

"I…I don't know what you mean, Agent Gibbs."

"Look at the photos!" Gibbs demanded.

The security guard frowned in confusion and glanced questioningly at Tony before returning his attention back to the angry NCIS lead agent sitting in the chair across the table from him. "I was just doing my job."

Slamming the desk hard, Gibbs ordered, "I said look at the photos!" Swallowing nervously the guard looked back down at the photos as Gibbs pushed each photo slowly but purposely towards the guard as he spoke. 'Each photo was taken on different days, days we are now aware that there had been a security breach and an unauthorized and convicted escaped felon had been allowed to enter the building and take photos of one of my agents. An agent he was convicted of kidnapping and attempting to murder and who he is now stalking. The same man you allowed to bribe you today, and who you are caught on security video of allowing to enter the building without carrying out the correct security checks, not once or twice but on at least four different occasions."

The guard stared at each photo Gibbs pushed closer before he stuttered, "But… but they aren't the same man."

"Look at the faces, Damn it, he was wearing a disguise, something that you would have realized if you were doing your job properly."

"I…I didn't notice…"

"So you didn't notice that on at least two of the occasions that we are aware of, you allowed him to enter the building and you didn't check his ID." Gibbs yelled angrily, slamming his hands on the table before he leaned over the table, his face was close to the security guard's face as he asked softly, a dangerous edge to his voice, "Do you want to tell me why?"

Licking his lips nervously, the guard looked down at the photos before he looked anxiously back up at Gibbs as Gibbs leaned back and stared at him expectantly, aware that lying would not get him out of trouble this time. He sighed, "I must have been stoned."

"Stoned?"

The guard nodded his head as he confessed, "Yeah. I…I have been sneaking off for a quick joint during my breaks. This job gets so boring some days, seeing the same people, doing the same repetitive routine," He shifted nervously on his chair, unable to maintain eye contact with the angry NCIS lead agent as he shrugged and added softly, "I … I … just needed something to help me get through my shift."

"You needed something to help you get through your shift?" Gibbs growled.

Swallowing hard and moving his chair back slightly in fear, the guard bit his bottom lip as he glanced towards the door, trying to calculate in his head if he could reach the safety of the door if he needed to before he turned back to Gibbs and muttered nervously, "It's not like terrorists are going to walk through the front doors…I mean if a terrorist was going to …"

He jumped in fear as Gibbs suddenly rose to his feet and leaned menacingly across the desk, his face only inches away.

"No, it wasn't a terrorist who walked through the front door and who you allowed to enter a secure federal building, it was an escaped murderer who has already kidnapped, tortured and attempted to murder a member of _my_ team, and who is now stalking that _my_ agent. And why did that murderer get so close to my agent? Because _you_ needed to get stoned to get you through your shift." Gibbs said softly.

"I… didn't mean… "

"You didn't mean what?" Gibbs shouted, "You didn't mean to get caught getting stoned while on duty?"

Yes…no…I mean…" the guard stammered as he looked pleadingly at Gibbs for some sort of understanding. Only seeing anger in the lead agent's face, he swallowed hard and dropped his head down as he whispered, "Oh God, I'm sorry, I messed up bad…"

"You think?" Gibbs glared at him in disgust before he looked across at Tony and ordered, "Get him out of here."


End file.
